Tricuspid valve disease

At Aurora, we have extensive experience in treating all types of tricuspid valve disease, whether you’ve had the condition from birth or developed it later in life. We’re here for you with the most advanced diagnostics and minimally invasive treatments available to get you back to your favorite activities as soon as possible.

What is tricuspid valve disease?

Tricuspid valve disease is one of the four heart valve diseases. The other three are aortic valve disease, mitral valve disease, and pulmonary valve disease.

The tricuspid valve connects the upper and lower chambers (atrium and ventricle) on the right side of your heart. With tricuspid valve disease, this valve doesn’t open and close the way it should.

Understanding the types of tricuspid valve disease

There are three main kinds of tricuspid valve disease. They include:

• Tricuspid regurgitation: This happens when the valve doesn’t close tightly as the heart pumps, allowing blood to leak back into the right atrium.
• Tricuspid stenosis: In this condition, the valve’s flaps become stiff and narrow, and blood flow is restricted. The right atrium becomes enlarged and less blood flows through the right ventricle to the lungs to pick up oxygen.
• Tricuspid atresia: This rare, life-threatening congenital heart defect occurs when the valve does not form correctly during fetal development. Find out more about congenital heart disease.

Tricuspid valve disease symptoms

Tricuspid valve disease often has few symptoms, but you may experience:

• A heart murmur
• An irregular or rapid heartbeat (arrhythmia)
• Shortness of breath during physical activity
• Weakness or fatigue
• Swelling in the ankles, feet, and abdomen
• Cold skin
• Abdominal pain

Tricuspid valve disease causes

You may have been born with tricuspid valve disease or developed it from a condition that affects the valve, such as:

• Heart disease
• Heart attack
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Cardiomyopathy
• Heart failure
• Injury to the chest
• Infection such as rheumatic fever, which is a result of untreated strep throat, or infective endocarditis, which is an infection in the heart’s lining
• Congenital (present from birth) conditions, such as Marfan syndrome or Ebstein’s anomaly, where the valve doesn’t close correctly

Tricuspid valve disease diagnosis

Because tricuspid valve disease can have few symptoms, it's often diagnosed when doing tests for other conditions. Your doctor will give you a thorough physical exam, listen to your heart with a stethoscope to check for a heart murmur or irregular heartbeat, and ask about your symptoms and family history. They may order additional tests for you, too, such as:

• Cardiac catheterization
• Chest X-ray, CT scan or MRI
• Echocardiogram, including transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE)
• Electrocardiogram (EKG)
• Stress test

Find out more about our heart and vascular testing and diagnosis.

Tricuspid valve disease treatment

Our specialists are highly experienced in treating heart valve disease. And with the most advanced procedures that are less invasive, it means you’ll spend less time in the hospital and recover faster.

We’ll customize your treatment for tricuspid valve disease based on your needs and the underlying cause. Your plan may include:

• Monitoring for mild tricuspid regurgitation, with regular visits to carefully watch for any changes
• Medications to help control symptoms of other conditions that make tricuspid valve disease more severe
• Valve repair or replacement, using minimally invasive or open-heart procedures
• Cardiac ablation, a minimally invasive procedure that helps regulate irregular heartbeat

Care your heart can trust

At Aurora, we have a specialized heart center dedicated to heart valve disease. Here you’ll find a team of highly skilled specialists, the latest treatments – and personalized care for your best heart health.

Look to us for unmatched expertise, the most advanced services and treatments, and the latest in research and clinical trials.